Children’s Dentistry

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children. It can have a serious impact on a child’s health and quality of life. Introduce your child early to good dental health for a healthy mouth and a healthy life ahead.

Our dentists, Dr Li Yang, Dr Rebecca and Dr Emma Wainwright will ensure that your child’s visit and a fun and positive one. We provide compassionate, child-centred and high quality dental care in a fun, safe, comfortable and welcoming environment. We strive to establish a relationship of trust and confidence with your child for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Our Darra dental practice is specifically designed with children in mind. Our dedicated team offers a warm, friendly and calming environment; TV screens, toys and of course, prizes after every visit. There is a comfy lounge in our surgery for family members who are welcome to attend with your child.

Call us on 3172 3651 to discuss your child’s dental care or to book an appointment.

Did you know there is Medicare funded dental care for eligible children at Cornerstone Dental?

The Medicare funded Child Dental Benefits Schedule provides up to $1000 of dental treatment for eligible children aged 2-17 over 2 calendar years.

What is the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS)?

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule is a Medicare funded program providing dental care for eligible children.

How to check if your child/children are eligible?

If you are a family who holds a Health Care Card, receives a Centrelink payment or Family Tax Benefit A, your children may be eligible for the CDBS. You may have received a letter from the Department of Human Services letting you know you are eligible for the CDBS. If you are unsure, it’s quick and easy to check your eligibility. Simply ask our reception staff at Cornerstone Dental, or call 3172 3651. Alternatively, you can call Medicare on 132 011 (7 days a week, 24 hours a day) or visit www.humanservices.gov.au. If your eligibility is confirmed make an appointment with our dentists Dr Alice Huynh, Dr Emma or Dr Rebecca Wainwright.

How does the $1000 cap work?

Eligible children may have up to $1000 of dental treatment over a two-year period. It begins at the start of the calendar year and any money not spent in the first year is carried over to the second year. You cannot claim benefits from both private health insurance and the CDBS for the same services.

What dental services are covered?

A range of services are covered by the CDBS. These include:
• Dental check up
• Cleaning
• X-Rays
• Fillings
• Fissure sealing
• Extractions

What is not covered?
• Orthodontics (braces)
• Treatment under general anaesthetic
• Cosmetic dental treatment (such as teeth whitening)
• Mouthguards

When should my child first see a dentist?

Your child’s first dental experience should be a positive one, learning about a new environment and familiarization with team members who will become part of your child’s dental health providers in the years to come. Rather than wait until your child present with a problem, can sit by themselves, or has a full set of baby teeth, the best time to visit a dentist is quiet young!

It’s time for your baby to see the dentist for the first time when their first tooth becomes visible or when they reach 12 months of age – whichever comes first.

While you might think it’s not necessary to book an appointment until your baby has a full set of teeth, which usually takes place by the age of 3, the earlier your child visits the dentist the better. Usually, your child’s first visit to the dentist will involve the taking of their full medical history, and possible discussions about:

  • Teething
  • Brushing techniques
  • Bite (how your children’s teeth come together)
  • Habits such as thumb sucking
  • The risk of decay and how to prevent it
  • Prevention of traumatic injury to your child’s mouth
  • Nutritional advice

Always be positive about these visits, never use the dentist as a deterrent for bad behaviour such as not brushing teeth, and remember that the dental team is well-trained in dealing with babies and young children.

Your child’s first teeth are as important as permanent teeth and require daily care. Also called primary or baby teeth, they allow your child to chew and speak properly. They reserve the correct space in the gums for the eruption of permanent teeth. The primary molars need to be kept until the child is 11 to 13 years old.

Daily care is needed so your child does not lose primary teeth too early due to decay. Decay in primary teeth is commonly cause by prolonged contact of sweet liquids, food acids or foods with the teeth.

A child who is taught to look after the primary teeth is more likely to look after the permanent teeth
and enjoy an attractive smile and good oral health.

Regular dentist visits

Kicking off at the age of 1 at the latest, or within 6 months of the first tooth appearing, your child should see their dentist regularly and understand that visiting them is an important part of growing up. If you receive benefits such as Family Tax Benefit A payments, you can take advantage of government programs such as the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

Early Childhood Caries (Decay)

Your dentist may assess your child’s teeth and find that they have tooth decay or already have had fillings or lost teeth due to decay.

The main risk factors for childhood decay are:

  • Settling the baby or young child with a bottle of milk, sweet flavoured milk, cordial, soft drink or fruit juice. Bacteria feed on the sugar in these drinks and form a sticky coating of plaque. Acids produced by these bacteria eat into tooth enamel and cause decay.
  • Bottle feeding beyond 12 months
  • A high sugar diet with frequent snacking or ‘grazing’
  • Certain oral health problems, such as dry mouth (lack or saliva) and mouth breathing
  • Lack of good brushing and flossing
  • Sleep-behaviour problems

Regular dental check-ups are important for all children, especially if your child has the risk factors for early childhood decay. Without treatment, your child may develop toothache, infection and dental abscess, and lose teeth too early. Missing teeth in a young child can result in serious orthodontic problems of the permanent teeth, requiring extensive and costly treatment.

Tips to prevent Early Childhood Decay

  • Daily brushing with a low fluoride toothpaste and flossing.
  • A balanced diet and good nutrition.
  • Regular visits to the dentist.
  • If your baby has teeth, it’s best to avoid settling them to sleep overnight with a breastfeed or bottle of milk, sweetened flavoured milk, cordial, soft drink or fruit. Bacteria feed on the sugar in these drinks and form plaque acids on teeth, which eat into the tooth surface and cause decay.
  • Encourage your baby to learn to drink from a toddler cup from 12 months of age.
  • Don’t allow your child to take a bottle of milk or other sugary drinks to bed.
  • If your baby needs to suck on something to settle them to sleep, offer a dummy rather than a bottle.
  • If your baby has a breastfeed or bottle of milk before bed, gently wipe down their teeth with a moistened cloth before putting them to sleep.
  • Avoid giving your baby or toddler frequent snacks – three meals and two snacks per day is ideal to meet dietary needs.

Brushing and Flossing tips

Start brushing the teeth as soon as they erupt. Use a children’s toothbrush with a small head and soft, rounded bristles. Preferably, a child’s teeth should be brushed twice a day, morning and evening.

When your child is about two and a half years old, flossing should be done daily or at least, floss twice a week.

If flossing your child’s teeth is difficult, ask your dentist to show you how to do it.

Floss holders can be bought that make flossing easier for some children.

Children younger than about eight to ten years cannot properly clean their own teeth, and parents have to supervise.

Choose a position where you can easily see your child’s mouth.

For example, sit your child on your lap or stand behind your child with the head tilted back slightly. Alternatively, you can lay your child down on your lap as you sit on a couch or bed.

Plaque-disclosing tablets (available from your dentist or pharmacist) contain food dye that turns plaque pink or red.

These tablets can help you and your child to see if the brushing technique removes plaque from every tooth surface.

Flossing

Slide the floss between the teeth, and gently work it up and down, against the surface of each tooth. Do not snap the floss down between the teeth as it may cut into the gum and cause bleeding. After flossing, rinse with water, then brush (or brush then floss).

Good Brushing Technique

Move the brush gently in small circles to clean the front surface of your child’s teeth. To reach inner surfaces, tilt the toothbrush. Avoid side-to-side scrubbing, which can damage teeth and gums. Brush for about two minutes, if your child will tolerate it.

Brushing the back teeth

Brush the biting and grinding surfaces of back teeth with a gentle back and forth motion. Clean every surface of every tooth. Brush around the gum line of each tooth. Your dentist may have further advice on use of the toothbrush.

Toddler taming

If your toddler resists brushing or cannot sit still for two minutes, then try these suggestions:

  • Sing nursery rhymes or play a favourite song on the CD player as you brush.
  • Distract your child with a toy or TV program
  • Consider a battery-powered brush
  • Offer a reward. For example, you could put a sticker on a “star chart” each time your child allows you to brush for two minutes. Give your child a reward once the star chart is full of stickers, such as going somewhere special.

Encourage your preschooler to practise teeth cleaning (under your supervision) to instil good oral hygiene habits from an early age. Use a combination of “show and tell” methods. For example, you could brush your teeth as your child imitates you; then next time. Tell your child how to brush while you watch. Your child may prefer one method to the other.

For toddlers who are reluctant to brush, encourage them to brush at the end of their bath time when it is “their turn”. When you wrap your child in a towel after the bath, you can quickly check that the brushing was done properly.

Make flossing and brushing as much fun as you can because arguments and tears will add to your child’s resistance. Talk to your dentist if you need advice.

Introduce low-fluoride toothpaste when your child is about 18 months old. Replace toothbrushes every three months or when bristles appear frayed. Frayed bristle do not effectively remove plaque and may scratch the gums.

Good nutrition is important for oral and dental health

  • Offer a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrain cereals, lean meats and dairy products
  • Limit sugary snacks such as lollies, fruit bars, muesli bars, biscuits, dried fruit, cordials, juices and soft drinks
  • A healthy diet does not make brushing and flossing unnecessary. Many healthy foods (such as fruit) contain high amounts of sugar. Starchy foods (such as bread, pasta and crackers) and milk products (including breast milk) can cause the growth of dental plaque. Daily flossing and brushing greatly reduce the risk of tooth decay.
  • Xylitol is a natural sweetener from the white birch tree. Foods containing sugar substitutes appear to reduce decay causing bacteria. Ask your dentist if xylitol products (such as gum, syrup or lozenges) would be useful in reducing your family’s risk of tooth decay.
  • If your child needs medicines, ask your doctor if they can be sugar free; or if alternative sweeteners can be used.

Fluoride strengthens teeth

Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and protects against decay. Most capital cities in Australia add fluoride to the water supply at recommended levels. Your dentist can tell you if your local water supply is fluoridated.

Not all water sources contain fluoride. Bottled water typically does not contain enough fluoride to offer protection against tooth decay. Some home water filters may remove fluoride from the tap water and if your house uses tank water it will not contain fluoride. Please consult your dentist if your family mostly consumes non-fluoridated water. If needed, the dentist may apply a fluoride “varnish” twice yearly, which has been proven to reduce childhood tooth decay.

Too much fluoride during tooth development can cause mild white flecking or mottling of the permanent teeth (enamel fluorosis). A young child who regularly swallows adult-strength fluoride toothpaste instead of spitting it out may develop enamel fluorosis.

To prevent it:

  • choose a low-fluoride toothpaste for children younger than 6
  • apply a pea-sized amount to the toothbrush and smear it into the bristles
  • encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste after brushing
  • store all toothpaste of out of your child’s reach. Some small children love the taste of toothpaste and will eat it if given the chance

OUR DENTAL SERVICES

We provide a full range of dental services including

Children’s Dentistry

Cosmetic Smile Makeovers and Tooth Whitening

Fillings (decay or broken teeth)

Root Canal Treatment

Dental Implant Restorations

Crowns, Bridges and Veneers

Dentures

Mouthguards

Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Treatment

TMJ Disorder Treatment

Do YOU REQUIRE AN EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT

We offer same day appointment for special cases. Please contact the practice to find out more.

CALL 07 3172 3651